Home of Leslie Maunder and Riun Shandler. Addition by Claudio D’Amario, Scape-Tech Contracting Inc. and Dragan Pajic, Djepeto Interior Woodwork Ltd. Construction Costs: Associated with 3rd floor work only, including new mechanical system for entire house, design fees and committee of adjustment: $230,000. From the street, the addition is demure since it tucks back behind the home’s chimney.(Dave LeBlanc For The Globe and Mail)

The Maunder/Shandler home from the rear. The finishing touches are being applied to the semi-detached home, which has been experiencing an “almost gut reno” since May, 2013. A major part of the project has been the addition of a third storey, which now contains the couple’s master bedroom and bath. 'Our starting point,' says Mr. Shandler, father of two kids, 'was I just wanted my own bathroom …which was not doable with the floor plan downstairs, so this was a good solution.' From the rear, the addition is bold, with long windows into the master bath and a big deck.(Dave LeBlanc For The Globe and Mail)

The Maunder/Shandler bedroom. The ingenious floor plan gives two-thirds of the width to the bedroom while the other third is split between a big bathroom (with a bold orange stripe of tile) and a generous walk-in closet that benefits from natural light; the bed slips into the space between the doorways to each room. Because the addition takes the couple up a little higher than the rest of the neighbourhood, they enjoy a very “Coronation Street” view of rooftops, they laugh.(Dave LeBlanc For The Globe and Mail)

'We wanted an architect who could also provide some design guidance,' says Mr. Shandler, 'because we lack that.' Adds Ms. Maunder with a laugh: 'There are some people that want to micromanage that process, but we are not those people, we were happy to let Mary Ellen and [general contractor] Claudio communicate with each other directly.'(Dave LeBlanc For The Globe and Mail)

Another view of the Maunder/Shandler bathroom.(Dave LeBlanc For The Globe and Mail)

Home of Rosemary Bonnell and Laurent Mareschal. Addition by Martin Earle, Cove Construction. Construction costs associated with 3rd floor work including design fees and C of A (mechanical system was put in with basement phase so not counted here), exterior cladding and windows: $220,000(Dave LeBlanc For the Globe and Mail)

From the front, the Bonnell/Mareschal appendage tucks away neatly to avoid offending eyes on the street.(Dave LeBlanc For the Globe and Mail)

At the back, the Bonnell/Mareschal addition picks up on the style of an earlier first-floor addition, repeating an L-shaped “waterfall” roofline trimmed in ipe wood.(Dave LeBlanc For the Globe and Mail)

Inside, three skylights (one in the shower) flood the warm, woodsy space in light. Again, the walk-in benefits from a clerestory and a deck affords the couple a commanding view of trees and sky.(Dave LeBlanc For the Globe and Mail)